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If you are planning to add some space onto your home this year, you may have considered getting a conservatory. Before you can choose what kind of conservatory you want to get for you home, you will need to consider what the role of a conservatory is. How will you use your conservatory?

To Find a Conservatory fits your needs, you will need to think about what you want to put inside it and how it will be used. Many people use their conservatory space as a greenhouse for plants such as tomatoes and peppers, but other people might want to use it as a lounging area for during the summer months, meaning you’ll want a decent amount of space.

However, if you are going to use the space as a utility area for your washing machine and tumble dryer, then you might only need a small space to work with.

How Will You Use It?

A conservatory is an area which can become the hub of your home if you use it in the correct way. Many people love to use it as a play area for the kids or even put their dining table in there and use it to entertain guests.

There are even kitchen-diner conservatories which are available on the market, which more and more families and snapping up due to the natural light they can provide for family dining and cooking. And if it ever becomes too hot you can always open the French doors into the garden and enjoy that fresh air.

Conservatory Styles

There are two main categories when you are choosing the style of conservatory to buy: traditional and contemporary.

Traditional conservatory styles will usually have an Edwardian or a Victorian theme, and are often grand looking and suit period properties very well.

Contemporary conservatories are usually bespoke. This means that the design will largely depend on what your home looks like and the space you have available. The idea is to make the style fit your home and to complement the existing property.

Conservatory Prices

Just like an extension, getting a conservatory put onto the back of your home will cost you a pretty penny. However, if you are smart about your budget you can find a conservatory which suits what you need without putting you too much out of pocket.

If you are tight on the budget, you will likely have less options, but if you are able to go a little bit over the budget you have set, you have a few more options at your disposal. The price will depend on the size of the conservatory and also the style you want.

Conservatory Insulation

If you will be using your conservatory as an extra room in the house, you will need to make sure that you keep it insulated. It will need to be able to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and it can be helped largely by your heating system. To help keep your conservatory cooler in the summer, you can also install blinds to block out the sun when you aren’t using it.

Have you ever thought about how many calories you burn on an average day? If you’re into fitness, you may wear a monitor that shows how many calories you burn when you work out, but you might be surprised at how your body expends energy when you’re resting, working or getting ready for the day ahead.

It’s easy to assume that you need to be on the go to work towards your daily calorie burn, but your body can use around 382 calories during a 7-hour sleep. If you sleep for longer, the figure will be even higher. As you’re getting ready in the morning, you can boost your burn by drying your hair (39 calories for 15 minutes), showering (62 calories per 15 minutes) and cleaning your teeth (2 calories per minute). If you walk to work, this will add another 149 calories for 30 minutes at a steady speed of 3.5 mph. Even driving for 30 minutes can help you burn more than 60 calories.

If you have a desk job, you may assume that you don’t burn many calories at work, but as you’ll see from the infographic, spending an hour at your desk can actually burn around 100 calories. More physical jobs, such as painting and papering and carpentry can burn more than 160 calories per half hour.

You can also increase your burn by doing a food shop and pushing a trolley for 30 minutes, which burns 130 calories, putting shopping away, which will add another 26 calories and mowing the lawn, which burns around 205 calories per half hour.

If you’re sporty, you can take massive leaps towards your daily target by doing an hour of cycling (1,220 calories), boxing (670 calories), skipping (900 calories) or swimming (520 calories). Even a light 15-minute yoga session before bed could burn around 75 calories.

When you live life at 100 miles an hour, it’s never long before it all catches up with you and takes its toll. You might begin to notice that you’re feeling tired or burnt out. Or it might be the case that you spend too much time working and not enough time on the other important areas of your life. All of these problems and more are experienced by people who live life in the fast lane and rarely stop to take stock of the situation.

For those reasons, it might be a good idea for you to slow down your lifestyle; it could even be the resolution you take forward into the new year. There are so many benefits that you’ll experience when you slow down the speed of your lifestyle and stop rushing around so much. That might sound like a strange concept if you’re used to living the fast-paced lifestyle, but a change might be exactly what you and your family need right now, so read on to learn more reasons why this could be the best path forward.

You’ll Learn to Appreciate Your Time More

Everyone’s time is precious, but we don’t always act like it is. When you’re moving too fast through life, you don’t tend to appreciate the time you have or how you spend it. How can you when you’re busy focusing on other things and barely stopping to take a breath? By taking a slower approach to life, you’ll realise just how important your time is and you’ll put more thought into what you do with your time. It’s something that everyone should do more of, so make this the cornerstone of the changes you make in 2018.

You Can Focus on Your Purpose and Passions

Instead of motoring through life doing what you think you’re expected to do, you should slow down and start to focus a little more on the things that you’re passionate about. And if you think there is some purpose you had in your life but moved away from, maybe you could recapture that too. Life can become joyless if you don’t indulge your passions and do the things you love, and that’s something that busy people often miss as they focus on other things. Don’t let that happen to you too.

There’ll Be More Time to Spend With Your Loved Ones

This is perhaps the most important point of all to make. If you slow down a little and make more of the time you have, more of that time will be spent with your loved ones. What could be more important or more significant than that? The time you spend with them should always be cherished, but for many people living busy and fast-paced lifestyles, that family time can become a secondary consideration, and that’s never the way it should be. Slow down and enjoy that time you with your loved ones.

You’ll Set the Right Example

If you have kids to think about, you need to consider what kind of example you’re setting for them in life. Being constantly busy and not paying enough attention to the important things in life might not be the kind of example you want to set for them. You’ll want to make sure that they see you living a healthy and sustainable kind of life. After all, you don’t want your kids to end up picking up bad habits from you as they grow up and eventually become adults themselves.

You’ll Have Time to Weigh Up Big Financial Decisions Properly

Living life at too high a speed eventually leads to you making decisions under pressure, and you probably won’t take the time you need to actually weigh up the options in front of you. A lot of the time, this won’t result in much of an impact at all. But when it comes to the financial decisions you make, you need to take time. Cash float and many other lenders can offer you a lifeline when you need it. But rushing into decisions is never wise, so slow down and make sure you know what you’re getting into before you get into it.

Living in the Moment Will Become the Norm for You

If you do make the decisions to slow your lifestyle down a little, one of the things that will happen is that you’ll be able to start living in the moment much more than you ever did in the past. This makes living a healthy and fulfilling life much easier and your general happiness will certainly receive a boost, which has to be a positive thing. Living in the moment will quickly become the norm for you, and you’ll then experience all the benefits that come with that. It can only improve your wellbeing and happiness in the long-term.

Your Stress Levels Will Fall

This is one of the most important points of all because stress in life is always difficult to handle, and for some people it can lead to other mental health problems as well. Pushing yourself too far is always going to lead to problems, and that’s why you need to take steps to keep your stress levels in check by slowing down a little. Once you stop pushing yourself beyond your healthy limits, you’ll notice that you experience less stress in life and simply feel better in general.

Creative Juices Will Start to Flow Once More

If you’re someone who values creativity, slowing down and gaining some perspective could be exactly what you need right now. It’s hard to be creative when you don’t have any free time or space to think. Busy people don’t tend to make great creatives. If you’ve lost touch with your creative side, slowing down your lifestyle might be your best chance at reversing that particular trend. Time and space in life will help you set your creative side free once more, so what are you waiting for?

A Bit of Clarity is Always Welcome

Sometimes, what your life really needs and what it might be lacking is some clarity. It’s often hard to see the wood for the trees when you’re rushing through life and not even stopping to take a breath. Sooner or later, that’s going to catch up with you, and you should be careful about ignoring the importance of clarifying your perspective. More clarity can only ever be a good thing and slowing down a little will most definitely help you to get that. Don’t underestimate how important this could be for you.

You’ll Stop Taking Things for Granted

It’s so easy to take things for granted in life, and it’s even easier to do that when you’re barely stopping for a second to think about how good your life is and how lucky you are. Don’t be that person who has so much and doesn’t seem to even consider how fortunate they are. Taking things for granted is never a good look for anyone, and you don’t want people to view you that way I’m sure. So think about how slowing your lifestyle down a little may help you to take things for granted a little less.

Taking a step back and slowing down the way in which you live your life could have a huge impact for you, so don’t underestimate its impact. As we move into 2018, now is the perfect time to change your lifestyle and feel the benefits that a slower way of living could bring to you and your family.

There are few things in life that provide a more intense sense of achievement than buying your own home. Many of us strive to become homeowners, growing up with aspirations to hold the keys to our own property in our hands one day. Although it’s much more difficult to get onto the ladder than in years gone by, it is still possible to take that giant leap. If you’re hoping to buy your first home in the coming months, this guide should come in handy.

Saving a deposit and getting a mortgage

Buying a house doesn’t come cheap. These days, you’ll need a sizeable deposit to take that first step onto the property ladder. In 2017, the average first-time buyer deposit was £33,000. Now, most people don’t have that kind of money lying around, and in many cases, it takes years of saving to reach the point where you’re ready to start a property search. Not every buyer will need a deposit as substantial as this sum, as property prices vary hugely according to where you choose to live. However, the days of putting down a minimal deposit are long gone, and typically, you’ll need around 10% of the value of the home. If you’ve got a deposit saved, the next step is to think about your mortgage. There are myriad mortgage providers and types of mortgage out there, so it’s essential to do your research and compare offers. Ensure that you understand the different kinds of mortgage and that you know exactly how much you’re going to be paying each month over what period of time. Once you’ve got mortgage offers on the table, this will give you an idea of how much you can afford to spend.

Finding the right home and seeking legal advice

Buying a house isn’t as simple as falling in love with a property, making an offer and going to collect the keys a few weeks later. There are complex legal processes involved, and this is why it’s so important to seek advice from experts like those at Bannister Preston if you do find a home you love. When you’re searching, always bear your budget in mind, and factor in additional costs, such as stamp duty and legal fees, as well as the purchase price. Try not to rush into making decisions or get stressed because you don’t find the perfect house or flat straight away. Take your time. Being able to compromise is important, but don’t feel that you have to take the plunge if it doesn’t feel right. If you do fall head over heels, arrange some more viewings, and use your head and your heart. If you want to proceed, be prepared to negotiate on the price. You can always start low and increase your offer provided that there aren’t other buyers already knocking on the door. Once you agree a price, you can instruct a solicitor to oversee the acquisition and then wait for the processes to be completed. Once the legalities are sorted, all that’s left is to look forward to life in your first home.

If you’re on the hunt for your first home, hopefully, this guide will prove useful. Good luck!

If you are currently getting ready to move home, you are no doubt excited about relocating to a new place. However, there is a lot that needs to be planned and organised between now and then. To give yourself the greatest chance of everything going smoothly, read on to discover the common moving home mistakes that you need to avoid.

Failing to carefully research moving and storage companies – This is a mistake that can most certainly come back to haunt you. Choosing a removal or storage company simply because your friend has recommended them or because they were the cheapest solution you could find is not the best way to go about it. You need to take time to read reviews online to ensure the company has a good reputation. The likes ofMagenta Self Storage has received positive feedback and has a good rating, which will put your mind at ease. After all, you don’t want a storage site that is unsecure or a removal company that has a reputation for failing to turn up.

Not measuring furniture in advance – This is another error that can give you a massive headache. There is nothing worse than getting to your new property only to discover that your sofa does not fit in the living room properly or that your bed is far too big for your bedroom.

Forgetting about your children and your pets on the moving day – The moving day can be a lot more stressful when you have dogs running around and children that are complaining. It is a good idea to see if you have a friend or family member that will look afteryour children on the removal day. With regards to pets, the best thing to do is confine them to one room while the removal firm is there. This should be the last room that is dealt with when packing up to leave.

Not packing a survival kit – It is unlikely that you are going to get toyour new place and want to unpack straight away. This is why it is essential to put a survival kit together. This should contain all of the things you are going to need for the first night, ensuring you don’t have to go through the hassle of searching through every box to find your pyjamas.

Not working out all of the costs – Moving home can be a lot more expensive than you realise, especially if you don’t plan for it. This is why it is important to put together a plan that outlines all of the costs. You will know exactly how much money you need, as well as being able to find out whether you can make savings anywhere.

If you can avoid the mistakes that have been mentioned above, you can give yourself the greatest chance of having a stress-free moving home process. This is something that most people assume is simply unachievable. But a bit of careful planning can certainly go a long way and make a massive difference.

Even in winter, you might need to grab your sunglasses at the Museum of Science and Industry as we explore the magic of light.

The museum has a brand-new show and activities taking place every day throughout the school holidays. Forget about light sabres as we make light battle it out in our Science Showdown, become a light detective and solve mysteries in our fluorescent workshop, and make your own beautiful light catcher to take home.

There’s something magical for kids of all ages, from pre-schoolers to older children and even their grown-ups.

LIGHT SHOWDOWN

Recommended for ages 5 and older

Free drop-in show

Join our Explainers for a Science Showdown all about Light. UV, infrared, and visible light all want your vote… who wins? You decide. Join us for bright battles, hidden messages and lightbulb moments in this interactive science show.

GLOW DETECTIVES

Recommended for ages 7 and older

Free, tickets required due to limited capacity (book at the information desk)

Discover a hidden world in this fantastic fluorescent workshop. Find out what materials glow and why, then turn a torch* or your smartphone into a detector to reveal what’s glowing in the museum and in your home.

*Torches provided. Please note that UV-A lights are used in this workshop.

LIGHT CATCHERS

Recommended for ages 5 and older

Free drop-in activity

Get creative with all the family and make your own Light Catchers in this fun and easy workshop. Test it with light to see what colourful patterns, shapes and shadows you have made. Then take it home to create even more.

POWER PACKS FOR EARLY YEARS ENGINEERS

Recommended for toddlers under 4

Free lending packs available at the information desk

Pick up a Power Pack from the front desk and join one of our Explainers to explore the sights, smells and sounds of the museum’s giant engines in the Power Hall. This is a special guided session on how pretending and play can make the adventure even better for younger visitors.

There’s also all our regular programming including Engine Demonstrations where you can see some of our magnificent machines working and Manchester Mills highlighting the role Manchester played in the global cotton industry.

Plus, Christmas is also a great opportunity to visit the museum’s blockbuster exhibition, Robots. It features more than 100 robots, including interactive bots and Hollywood stars. The Robots activity trail, suitable for children aged 5 to 11, features drawing activities, talking points and an object hunt.

Admission to the museum is free. Tickets for Robots cost £8 adults/£5 children/free for age 6 and under. Ask for a free copy of the Robots activity trail at the ticket desk when booking.

The countdown to Christmas is officially on so here’s a taster of some of the fabulous festive entertainment on show at central London’s alternative hub of yuletide performance: Christmas in Leicester Square.

Bringing an evening of seasonal songs and laughter to Leicester Square on 14 December are West End star Emma Hatton (Evita, Wicked) and jazz legend Anthony Strong. The two join festive forces for one night only in London for Baby It’s Cold Outside, a fusion of stunning arrangements of musical theatre hits, jazz and blues numbers and of course some festive favourites is the first time the two stars will have ever performed together live, following their Number 1 EP Merry Christmas, Darling.

Fresh from releasing her sparkling version of ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ channelling 26 different divas, Christina Bianco is sashaying her way into Leicester Square on 15 December with her spectacular live show Divine Delusions. The epitome of Christmas glitz and glamour, Christina seamlessly embodies some of the hottest female singers around, including Liza Minnelli Celine Dion, Shirley Bassey, Britney Spears and Barbra Streisand as she mashes up the classics with some very unlikely interpretations. The ultimate festive celebration of the world’s favourite divas, this is a unique musical comedy experience guaranteed to get you ready to embrace your inner Mariah for the work Christmas do….

Other acts coming to Christmas in Leicester Square this month include Black Cat Cabaret (various dates including a New Year’s Eve Spectacular on 31 December), cabaret supergroup Fascinating Aida, House of Burlesque, Fitzrovia Radio Hour’s A Christmas Carol, Showstoppers Kids Show and Monski Mouse’s Christmas Baby Disco Dancehall.

In addition to this amazing seasonal entertainment, London’s iconic Leicester Square will be transformed into a wintery haven with a beautiful European-style Christmas Market with over 25 different stalls featuring a range of fascinating Christmas curios, sumptuous food and delicious drinks.

So, come one, come all, have a mulled wine and a pretzel, visit Santa, take in a show, and immerse yourself in a complete Christmas experience!

What better time to get married than during Christmas? We all love to look great every day, especially on our wedding! This is a time which is dedicated to you and your partner, so you want to look your very best as all eyes will be on you. With a few helpful tips and thought-out preparations, you’ll be a beauty for those wedding photos.

Plan your outfit…carefully

Not thinking through their wedding outfit is a flaw which most brides make and regret. Buying the first dress you see just because the deal was good is not always the way to go. Have a couple of wedding gowns in mind and use the helpful input from friends and family. When you eventually find your dream dress, store it in a zippered garment bag after purchasing it. If you’re stuck on the what shoes or accessories to get, look at a few bridal magazines, they’re jam-packed with loads of festive ideas and different styles which might interest you! If you’re still planning your wedding, make use of your time to find a dress which will suit you.

Stay healthy and active

Being active and eating better during the months before your wedding, is the key rule to look fabulous on your big day. By finding a workout routine, a fitness-related hobby or a healthier diet which suits you, you’ll not only look fitter but feel more confident in yourself. You could even get your partner involved in your fitness regime and make them lose a bit of tummy fat too! You might even enjoy it so much, that you continue doing it after the wedding day and schedule it into everyday life.

Makeup and hair trials are a must

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘being prepared is half the victory’, well this applies to everything. If you want a relaxed and successful wedding, it’s essential to have all the preparations in order. This involves beauty treatments too! Get all of your girls together and let them do a few hair and makeup trials on you. If you’re struggling for space in your house to accommodate them, see these 6 Style Ideas to Get Your Guest Room Ready for the Holidays. By doing this, you’re preparing yourself and avoiding any hiccups which may occur on the day.

Look yourself, not someone else

One of the worst things you can do while getting ready is making yourself look completely different. Yes, you could try makeup you’ve never used before or go for that hairstyle you’ve always wanted, but don’t have any drastic makeovers on your wedding day. This is just asking for a disaster! Be proud of your original features and let everyone admire your natural beauty.

Prepare a ‘Wedding Day Survival Kit’

You may or may not have heard about this, but it can be a lifesaver on your wedding day. Typically referred to as the ‘just in case’ items, this survival kit comprises of beauty essentials such as tweezers, toothpicks, extra undergarments, breath mints and deodorant. During the dinner/reception, your bridesmaid can keep hold of this little bag of goodies and always be there with the supplies which keep you looking fresh.

When you start to plan a wedding, it doesn’t take that much time for you to realise that you’ve got a big task at hand. Because every bride soon sees that there is a lot for her to get done. From setting the date to choosing her shoes, most of the planning comes with a lot of decisions to make. And as you start to work on the list of things you have to do, you’ll notice that a few themes arise – as many of the decisions you need to make will involve one bigger area, such as flowers, music, and even the one we’re going to go into more detail with today, stationery.

At first, you may think that you’re looking at some invitations and thank you card, but when you get down to it, you’ve got a wealth of different options and decisions to make when it comes to all things stationery. So much so, that it can feel quite daunting when you realise just how much you need to take on. But the best way to work with this is to tackle it all head-on, and all at the same time! So, we’re going to walk through what you might want to do to ensure it’s all perfect.

Jump On It

As we said, you’re going to want to get yourself into the ‘I can do this’ frame of mind. Because when you picture that perfect future dream of planning your wedding and buying your first home, you know that you’re going to be taking on a lot of work, but you do it anyway. And now the time has come. So you’re going to want to just forget about everything else for a while and focus solely on the stationery side of things to get it done.

Decide On The Theme

So the very first thing you need to do after getting yourself into the mindset of being able to tackle this, is to figure out the theme that’s right for you. More often than not, you might want to make sure that the choices of stationery you go for are in keeping with your overall wedding theme. However, you may want to do something slightly different, but still keep all of your stationery within the same kind of theme itself. Either way, it’s often a good idea to decide which you’d like to do before you start shopping.

Start With Your Save The Dates

When you’ve decided on your theme, it’s then time to work on exactly what you’re going to get for each piece of stationery that you need. And it’s always a great idea to have a starting point. So, you’re going to want to start off with your save the dates, as there often the item that needs to be ready (and sent out) first. You need to decide if they are going to set the tone for the rest of your stationery, or whether you’re even going to use stationery for this at all.

Pick The Perfect Invitations

At the same time, you may also want to consider the invitations that you’re going to choose. Because if you are sending out save the date cards, then you may want them to be in a similar style. To do that, you’re going to want to find a stationery store that you like, such as Pure Invitation, and see what they offer. You should consider the different styles you can work with, and pick out things like information and RSVP cards too.

Consider The Order Of Service

From here, you’ve then also think about the pieces of stationery that you may need for the wedding day itself, and there’s quite a few. You may not want to work with them all, but one thing that you might like to consider the is the order of service or ceremony plan. This can be handy to give to guests and share information they may need to have.

Work Out The Table Plan

Another key piece is the table plan. This is something that will always be written out, but you will want to decide on a few things. The first is whether you’re going to get it made via a supplier or do it yourself, as it can be quite fun to create things yourself. Your second is to actually work the seating plan out too so that the chart can be written or drawn up.

Choose Your Place Cards

While you’re working on the table chart, you’re also going to want to think about your place cards too. Because if you are writing up the seating plan as a kind of list, or at least using a type font within your plan, then you may want to use the same for your place cards, regardless of the type you go for.

Decide On Table Names

Another part that will go into this particular area of the stationery section is the table names themselves. Because not only do you need to figure out how you’re going to display them, but you also need to come up with the names too. Definitely think about having some fun here, especially if it goes with your overall wedding theme.

Write Up The Menus

While we’re on the topic of tables, the final thing you may want to consider including would be a menu. Whether you’re giving menu choices or not, it’s nice to write up the food and drink to either remind guests of what they chose, or inform them of what’s to come.

Finish With Thank You Cards

Finally, you’ve also got thank you cards to choose too. Although this is the last piece of stationery that you’ll need, you may also want to think about picking these out when you choose your save the saves and invitations. That way, you can make sure that everything is within the same sort of theme if that’s what you’re looking to do. Plus, by ordering ahead, you can be prepared and not have to worry about ordering them when the wedding is over.

It’s starting to get cold and for many of us in this country, that means a lot more time spent feeling chilly and much bigger fuel bills than at the rest of the year. It doesn’t have to!

Here are some simple things you can do to ensure that you’re warmer and wealthier this winter:

Feathers are Your Friend

If you can, investing in goose feather duvets for every member of your family is a good idea. Although they might be a little more expensive than your average duvet, they are many times warmer, and they will enable you to use your heating less, at night, at least. They’ll also last you for a few winters, so they will pay for themselves and more, and more importantly, you will be cosy when you retire for the evening.

Become a Curtain King or Queen

You might think that curtains are there for nothing more than privacy and show, but they are actually a very useful tool in regulating room temperature. During winter, you should open all of your curtains and blinds during the day, to make the most of the free warmth provided by the sun. In the evenings you should close them to add some extra insulation around the windows, which are, of course, one of the biggest areas for heat loss.

Turn on a Timer

If you have a boiler with a timer (you probably do), the Centre for Sustainable Energy says that it is a good idea to set the boiler to turn on around half an hour before you wake, but at a lower temperature than you would usually set it. They say that this is a more affordable way of heating your home to a standard that keeps you cosy.

Move Your Furniture

If you have furniture resting up against your radiator, even if it’s your sofa, you’ll feel warmer and pay less money for your heating, if you move it away. Why Because your furniture will absorb a lot of the available heat, meaning it never reaches you or the rest of the room – you’ll literally be wasting money if you leave your furniture in the way!

Layer Up

Of course, one of the most cost-effective ways to warm yourself up is by dressing for the weather. The best way to dress for cold weather is undoubtedly by layering up. Why? Not only because the more layers you have, the warmer you’ll naturally be, but because layers trap air and air is a natural insulator – it’s a no-brainer!

Block Draughts

It’s obvious, but it’s worth mentioning because many people don’t bother to use draught excluders or fill in cracks in their home before winter sets in, but doing so is a simple way to increase warmth and cut down on energy usage within any home.

With these tips in your arsenal, you can beat winter at its own game by staying warm and keeping your utility bills down, which means more money in the bank come spring sprucing time!